Title: The dismissal of women’s crafts: An analysis of needlework by AFAB artists in a historical and contemporary context
Author: Nina McMullan
Publication Year/Date: May 2024
Document Version: Fine Art Hons dissertation
License: CC-BY-NC-ND
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-ncnd/4.0/
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20933/100001303
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The dismissal of women’s crafts: An analysis of needlework by AFAB artists in a historical and contemporary context
Abstract
Researching key points throughout the history of needlework has made it evident that its association with women has resulted in a dismissive attitude and has in turn been disregarded within the art world. This dissertation will introduce notable artists assigned female at birth (AFAB) who have used needlework to create, from names such as Harriet Powers (1837- 1910) to Tracey Emin (1964-), discussing their affiliation with the Arts and Crafts movement and therefore dismissal of their work. Furthermore, this dissertation will discuss Miriam Schapiro’s (1923-2015) relationship with being a female artist, as well as the topic of anonymity through her series Anonymous Was a Woman (1977). The development of fourth wave feminism introduced around 2012 has raised awareness of the sexist nature of the art world, a longstanding issue which has sparked a revival in feminist work, with artists reclaiming the technique of needlework. This is evident in the contemporary art of Tracey Emin, the final artist analysed in this body of work. The relationship between these artists and needlework has been researched to establish this document through books, articles, and interviews.
Introduction
This dissertation will identify the treatment of assigned female at birth (AFAB) artists within the art world, focusing on the existence of needlework in the past and concluding with two contemporary examples. Throughout the history of art, it has been consistently evident that the inclusion of minorities within the art world has not been equal, with cisgender white men placed at the forefront of the industry. This is an issue which has been investigated and indisputably proven by various studies and has been gaining more relevance in recent years of feminisms fourth wave, a period of intersectional activism and strive for equal rights.
To simplify the enormous scope of history relating to feminist roots within needlecraft and the Arts and Crafts movement, this dissertation will be split into three chapters. Initially looking at aspects of needlework history within Britain and America, the first chapter will delve into women’s roles using needlework, a skill taught from a young age within education and community. This chapter will also consider the creation of tapestries in Kentucky, USA, within literature by looking at Eliza Calvert Hall’s Aunt Jane of Kentucky of 1907, as well as the form of communication and documentation with needlework as the vessel of commemorative quilts by
looking at the Double Wedding Ring Quilt, and analysing the religious themed quilts of Harriet Powers (1837-1910), a black artist who was enslaved for the beginning portion of her life. The second chapter will discuss the sexist nature of the art world, researching the statistics of women’s historical inclusion and ability to attend art schools to learn the same skills taught to their male counterparts. It will then consider the Arts and Crafts movement and women’s input into this period, going on to examine the work Anonymous Was a Woman (1977) by Miriam Schapiro (1923-2015) and its relation to feminine associated arts. Finally, the third chapter will inspect how needlecraft is used in a contemporary context by reviewing two appliqué pieces by Tracey Karima Emin (1963-) titled Mad Tracey from Margate. Everyone's been there (1997) and Super Drunk Bitch’ (2005), both pieces evaluated in relation to the life stories told in her book Strangeland (2005).Due to its significant enormity in relevance across various countries and cultures, this dissertation does not have the space to explore the full scope of the history of needlework, and therefor will spotlight the past of needlecraft across parts of Britain and America, addressing the work from a Western culture perspective. This is crucial to note so as not to lose awareness and appreciation for the impact needlework has had across Eastern cultures. From a personal standpoint, my passion for feminism has always remained relevant in my life, especially as an AFAB non-binary artist. The topic of discussion relates to my own interests and studio practice through my ongoing use of needlecraft in my work – a form of creating I have embraced for several years. Furthermore, the art of Tracey Emin is one of the first ever artist exhibitions I visited at a (probably too) young age, an experience I still remember to this day – one which has never failed to inspire me to keep creating and further my love for art.
Chapter 1: The History of Needlework
Needlework in all forms is historically and still used today to commemorate aspects of human life – such as religion, group or personal events, and culture. It continues to be utilised across the globe with different intentions behind the work. Due to its fragile nature and popularity, it is almost impossible to pinpoint the earliest works, though we do have an insight into some of its historical relevance through remaining works and artist accounts. From tapestries depicting historical European battles such as the Bayeux Tapestry of c. 1070, women mending textiles for their families and communities in mid 1900’s war torn Britain, Medieval needlework that inspired designers such as William Morris (Wallace 1999, p.10), to modern day clothing worn by the biggest names in pop culture, the existence of needlework is stretched across history and has continued to develop with the everchanging times and fashions. This is suggested by Isabel Stanley and Jenny Watson in the book The Ultimate Quilting and Patchwork Companion; “Patchwork, quilting, and appliqué have developed over the centuries in many different countries. Techniques have crossed continents, fallen in and out of fashion, and evolved according to cultural and economic changes.” (Stanley and Watson 2001, p.28) This emphasises the long-lasting existence of needlework, and how its developments have been embraced over
time. One consistent, however, has been the association between needlework and AFAB creators; “Needlework was then, as now, considered a mainly feminine occupation.” (Wallace 1999, p.10), a retrospective deepening the conventional links between needlework and women. Learning needlecrafts skills for most began at a very early age. Across Britain, it was tradition that girls in school as young as five years old were to attend classes to prepare them for adulthood, where the custom was to be married shortly after leaving school and set up for a traditional life as a wife and mother. These domestic craft skills were taught to create decoration for their homes in many objects such as quilts for bedding, decorative pieces, and to dress furniture (Bank, 1995, p.10). Although part of the curriculum, learning needlework wasn’t restricted to school hours, with these skills passed down from generation to generation, the learner starting out practicing and recording stitches on a smaller and simpler scale, known as samplers. Alongside being a practical skill, the act of sewing became a way of socialising between women, sitting in groups working away to create pieces of work to beautify and warm their growing families, or to help mend any damaged textiles (Bank 1979, p.10). This is mentioned in Linda Connell’s 2007 published book Textile Treasures of the WI; “Textiles can be functional, or decorative, or both” (Connell 2007, p.1), reiterating the point that these handmade works hold a myriad of purposes to their creator, whether that be a in a practical sense, aesthetic, or a combination of both. The first piece of discussion is an example of a sampler made by Eliza Broadhead, from Quaker School at Ackworth in Yorkshire, 1785, sized 23.5cm squared. (V&A 2023). It is currently retained in London, sometimes showcased by the Victoria and Albert Museum. These works illustrate the type of samplers made in school expected by women of a young age – an exercise to train and perfect these disciplines. The sampler features a square of fabric darned with silk and wool, featuring varying embroidered colours in block shapes of different needlework methods and embroidery techniques, additionally documented with its maker's name, date and school. Despite the great effort, time, thought, and artistry put into these samplers, this way of working was still not recognised as a form of art. Mirra Bank’s Anonymous Was a Woman tells of this lack of appreciation by writing “Unfortunately, the artists themselves rarely left accounts of their work. In most cases they would not have dreamed of presenting themselves as “artists” or their samplers, school pieces and needlework as “art” (Bank 1979, p.10). This quote links to the ongoing matter of needlework pieces made by women not being seen as art, simply due to the sex of the creator.
Much more recently, and further afield geographically, the book published Aunt Jane of Kentucky in 1907 consists of various short stories written by Eliza Calvert Hall – a feminist women’s rights activist author born Eliza Caroline Obenchain in Kentucky, USA, 1856. One story includes Jane Parrish, a quilter living in Kentucky, USA. It is important to address that the title ‘Aunt Jane’ is believed to be a derogatory term in reference to a black woman. This persona was an embodiment of a religious older lady who has quilted throughout her life. The story tells of the characters adoration for needlework, specifically quilt making, and the legacy these pieces will leave long after the creator's life. "I've been a hard worker all my life, but most all my work
has been the kind that "perishes with the usin'", as the Bible says. That's the discouragin' thing about a woman's work. If a woman was to see all the dishes that she had to wash before she died piled up before her in one pile, she'd lie down and die right then and there. I've always had the name o' bein' a good housekeeper, but when I'm dead and gone there ain't anybody goin' to think o' the floors I've swept, and the tables I've scrubbed and the old clothes I've patched and the stockin's I've darned, but when one of my grandchildren or great-grandchildren sees one o' these quilts, they'll think about Aunt Jane, and , wherever I am then, I'll know I ain't forgotten." (Hall, 1907) This quote said by the character Jane Parrish, tells of the attitudes the creators felt towards their work, how their art would be carried on many years after they have passed. It reads of the housework expected from women of this time, and how this is miniscule when comparing its existence, impact, and importance of a handmade piece. This speaks to the importance of these methods of making, and the impact this character had on relating to the work women were expected to do, furthering that needlework was their vessel. For many, crafts such as quilt and tapestry making were used as a way of documenting events of importance, such as weddings, family lineage, and religion. An example of this is artist Harriet Powers, born in Georgia, United States.
Harriet Powers is regarded as a crucial timestamp of the historical timeline of quilt making, as well as an identifiable artist of religious art, her work stated by Marie Jane Adams as ‘exceptional’ and ‘precious’, a description owed to the unfair treatment of black women of this time (Adams 1996, p.21). Her work altered from traditional ways of working of this time, when quilts often stuck to strict forms by following set neat patterns (Adams 1996), whereas Powers’ appearances struck more expressive.
Powers was born on October 29th 1837 in the northeast of Georgia, United States, born enslaved (Fry 1987, Vol IV No. 1). Glady’s-Marie Fry, an author, a professor of Folklore, and leader of the African American Quilt scholars, dedicated her life to researching the lives of black creators that used creative methods as their form of communication and documentation. Due to the quality of life she faced as a black woman during this time, there is not much information recorded on Harriet Powers. Fry’s Harriet Powers: Portrait of a Black Quilter (1987) tells of the significance of the tapestries Powers made following her emancipation in relevance to the development of needlework. Fry writes of Powers’ approach to making, relating to Eastern and Middle Eastern cultures as well as foundations in African culture and how her appliqué methods and visual elements were traditionally used by men of the Fon people but were later adapted by female slaves further West. Her legacy as a Christian woman is documented through the two remaining quilts made by her, the first being Bible Quilt, finished in 1886, and Pictorial Quilt made between 1895-98. The Bible Quilt was initially bought by an upper-class white woman named Jennie Smith for half the asking price, and is now kept in Boston, on display in the Museum of Fine Arts. Bible Quilt features 11 cream coloured blocks outlined with a peach/orange border to separate them. These blocks visualise distinctive stories told in the Bible; the principles Powers learned of her Christian faith. Symbolism of stars and suns sit alongside
white and purple bodies, perhaps angels, and animals relating to these tales' geographical setting. This piece is a way of Power expressing her love of the Christian religion and its teachings she learned while attending local church sermons. She is using her form of art as a visual and physical means of communication and documentation.Adjacent to the lack of artistic appreciation for samplers made in Britain previously discussed, Fry alludes to the same treatment for works created by African American slaves in her book Stitched from the Soul: Slave Quilts from the Antebellum South by writing “As women’s work, quilting would also have been considered unimportant” (Fry 1990). This quote refers to the lack of gratitude for needlework creations, and how they were not acknowledged as credible. The issue of sexism lies as this treatment is contradictory to male dominated artistic practices such as carpentry, wood carving and pottery (Fry 1990).In other parts of the United States, quilts were being made dedicated to secular occasions of importance. For example, the tradition of marriage between a young couple was documented in the form of a betrothal quilt, known as the Double Wedding Ring quilt. This type of quilt pattern can be traced back to the late 19th century, a commemorative piece for the anticipated event, and is said to be a token of good luck for the newlywed couple when slept under (Clark 1993, p.6). “Quilts have always been associated with the celebration of important events. Typically, they would be made to mark a particular occasion, with the nature of the celebration reflected in the choice of design or quilting. The Double Wedding Ring patchwork design, for example, was worked to mark a marriage or wedding anniversary and was made from interlinking rings, each constructed from tiny patches.” (Watson & Stanley, p.28). This quote highlights the celebratory nature of the Double Wedding Ring Quilt, reaffirming the significance of the piece. Visually, the quilt features interlocked rings to symbolise the commitment of marriage, a difficult and time-consuming pattern to create, implying the amount of time and effort put into this way of making. The rings were most commonly featured atop a white background, associated with purity. Figure 1.3 below is an example of a Double Wedding Ring Quilt from John Flynn's Double Wedding Ring Step-by- Step Workbook published in 1996, a prime example of this type of quilt – displaying a white plain background as a base for the interlocking patterned rings. The example of a wedding quilt is an illustration of how needlework pieces were intertwined into everyday life. Evident from the sources identified so far, there is something to be said about the creation of textiles that are made by women that speaks of the power of community, relationships and female art making. It was not simply a form of aestheticism, but a form of therapy, communication, documentation, a way to connect to one another – an unspoken structure of support between friends and family. Anonymous was a Woman by Mirra Bank writes: “Women poured these feelings into quilts, woven rugs, or embroidered linens that would bring the giver to mind with every use” (Bank 1995, p.9). Bank is commenting on the long- lasting memories sewn into the textile work. Each stitch was a method of visual communication and documentation for its creator, a form of art combining practicality and visual representation.
As aforementioned, needlecraft has historically also been utilised to provide for their own families, as well as to help others in need. The Women’s Institute (WI) is a charity organisation which focuses on providing opportunities for women, beginning in Canada in 1897 and followed overseas in Wales in 1915. The WI’s relevance to needlework is based on the charity’s appreciation of Arts and Crafts, with textile work acting as a vessel for a community, using these skills to help those deprived of basic needs. The charity helped those less fortunate during economic struggles such as during and after the Second World War (Connell 2007, p.85). Stanley and Watson further the vitalness of the Arts and Crafts movement for poorer families by writing; “Originally these crafts were practiced through necessity, rather than pleasure. Patchwork was an economic way of using scraps for those who could not afford new fabric; appliqué was used to replace worn areas on a textile; and quilting provided vital warmth.” (Stanley and Watson 2001, p.28), emphasising that the use of needlecraft was a form of survival for some, rather than a hobby or interest. The charity continues to fight for women's rights and the preservation of Arts and Crafts.
The sources above determine that despite their significance within culture and community, these crafts have not been commemorated as art, demeaned as less than, and therefore their inclusion and respect in the art world has historically not been recognised. It is evident that due to its association made through its past, work part of the Arts and Crafts movement, often referred to as ‘women’s crafts’, was not regarded as ‘high art’ or ‘fine art’ (Brooklyn Museum, 2023). Sally J. Markowitz, an American philosopher, mentions this issue in her writing The Distinction between Art and Craft; “Some critics, with good reason, claim that this difference in evaluative meaning reflects our culture's elitist values: what white European men make is dignified by the label "art" while what everyone else makes counts only as craft” (Markowitz 1994). This source accentuates the notion of the attitude towards women’s participation in the arts, and how the treatment of white cisgender men has perpetually been favoured. The following chapter will discuss this ostracism in further detail, exploring the issue of sexism within the art world –focusing on art made by artists assigned female at birth, as well as the inequalities between cisgender men and women in the art world, later analysing the work of Miriam Schapiro and the prevalence of anonymity.
Chapter 2: Sexism in the Art World
As identified in Chapter One, a large part of the history of women’s relation to needlework work has been a structed and expected role based around the domestic lifestyle of making for the family. It has also been evaluated that needlecraft has been dismissed as a form of high art and considered less than work made by male artists. Moreover, one of the negative ongoing issues within the art world are the inequalities faced by minorities, whether that be posed financially, representationally, or the feedback and publicism in the media. It is hard to avoid the evidence that people assigned female at birth in the art world face an unfair disadvantage. Declared by
Rosie Niblock from Creative Land Trust; “In 2020, 73% of graduates studying art and design were women” (Niblock, 2022). Despite the modern-day population of art schools being primarily made up of female students, the highest-ranking artists in sales are made up of cisgender white men. This is proven by a study conducted by Artnet concluding that in 2019, 68% of artists displayed in commercial gallery spaces were white men (Pes, 2019). Lauren Lampela wrote of the discriminative nature of art schools in her 1993 journal Women's Art Education Institutions in 19th Century England, noting how women were not allowed in art schools until the second half of the 19th century, years after their male counter parts (Lampela 1993, p.64-67). Even at this somewhat attempt at equality, applicants of a higher class were favoured over the lower class, in turn affecting the type of art they studied. Furthermore, a 2018 article written by Annette Wickham for the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) has reported that female students were not allowed to attend life drawing classes until around 1890, many years after men (Wickham, 2018). This was approved, while restricted to equal numbers of men and women, following an 1883 petition created by RA students battling for women’s rights to participate in life drawing classes in hopes of authorising this form of education. While some were fighting for equal rights, artists such as George Leslie Dunlop continued to refer to female art students as ‘intruders’, naming their enrollment the ‘female invasion’ (Wickham, 2018). These developments highlight the inequalities faced between the sexes before even graduating and beginning a career as an artist, and although women may have finally been accepted into educational spaces, this does not mean that all aspects regarding art education were equal between the sexes.
Although the level of inequalities between men and women may have improved since then, proven by the current numbers of female students, there are still huge gaps between male and female artists. As mentioned in Chapter One, varying accounts of needlework made by women were not considered ‘fine art’ due to the nature of when and where it is created, who it is created by, and the practical and/or aesthetic essence of the work. Women in the art world, no different to the general world, were and continue to be degraded simply due to their sex. Because of this issue, female artists often resorted to the avoidance of using their name, either by creating an alias, or by completely eradicating their name in association with the work itself so that they had a chance of simply just being accepted to displaying their work. This avoidance relates not just to needlework, but to all kinds of art of its time such as painting and writing, with the pseudonym being an approach of fitting in as an attempt to avert causing unfair stereotyping and inequality in how the work was published or viewed. One recognisable name in terms of writing is Jane Austen, alive between 1775–1817, who initially published her novels anonymously (Figes 2019).
One artist who has made work regarding the subject of anonymity of female artists is 1923 Canadian born Miriam Schapiro. Her work titled Anonymous was a Woman’ completed in 1977, comprised of a collection of fifteen different etchings of doilies and antimacassars. The chosen objects have an association of being feminine décor for the home, with Schapiro opting to use them as a form of celebration of textile artists. The title refers directly to the history of
women using an alias or no name to be included in art opportunities for themselves, as aforementioned. Each print is softground etched onto white Arches paper, with the title and edition number recorded by Schapiro, written in graphite pencil. Seeing the series title written on the piece is a direct reminder of the message behind the work, emphasising its cruciality. The delicacy of the material is translated through etching, a way of enhancing the structural detail –putting a spotlight on the time-consuming and delicate production of the work. Although there isn’t a large amount of information available on this series, its title and visual representation speaks of those brave women artists who had to hide in fear of inequality. Schapiro has transcribed these decorations found in one's home into debossed versions, an expression of the sexism faced in the art world. The fact that this series was then revisited in 1999 in the form of prints, is an opportunity to consider the miniscule improvements regarding artists inequalities in the time between the original etchings and their reprint. In 2018, Missoula Art Museum wrote regarding the Anonymous was a Woman reprints; “Calling attention to the unassuming traditions associated with women, these prints celebrate women’s creativity and traditional art forms, critique the institutions that limit and trivialize women’s experiences and promote a sense of identity, solidarity, and significance”. (Missoula Art Museum, 2018), reiterating that this series is a vital gesture to the female artists who have been dismissed due to their identity. Schapiro is quoted to have said; “I am always in such conflict about my nurturance and my selfishness, about being alone, that a tension has developed inside me which I believe is a characteristic of my status in a society that really doesn’t recognise the actuality of the cultural entity – WOMAN ARTIST.” (Gouma-Peterson 1997, p.11). This comment communicates Schapiro’s attitude on how she is perceived within the art world – she is not able to simply exist as a creator as her title as a woman is forever considered alongside the attributes of her art. This is something that became more apparent to her during the 1970’s with a rise in discussion surrounding female artists, a change from her upbringing with a designer father.
Throughout her career, Schapiro’s work explored the theme of feminism and became the art periods pioneer – all relating to her method and the imagery of her work. Following her death on June 20th of 2015, she is remembered for her efforts to dismantle the stereotypes and sexism, and the art world's disregard of women's crafts. Schapiro consistently made way to commemorate the ways of art creation associated with women, aiming to eradicate the sexist dismissal of showcasing work. “Schapiro’s work reflects her personal relationship with feminism and was instrumental in claiming space for herself and other women artists to explore their diverse experiences of womanhood through art” (Gipson 2022, p.73). This quote by Gipson reiterates the point of Miriam Schapiro’s impact on feminine associated art, and how the artist used her beliefs to progress the space of female creators.
Ferren Gipsons book Women’s Work, published in 2022, wrote of Schapiro’s modern feminist way of working during the late 1960’s alongside the assistant of physicist David Nabilof when she moved to San Diego in California in 1967. The pair used computers to map out geometric designs which were then painted onto canvas (Gipson 2022, p.71). This innovative way of
combining art and technology during this time was recognised as a predominantly male scene, which Schapiro purposefully acted against through using feminine imagery. It was not long after this that Schapiro created Anonymous was a Woman. Schapiro is also recognised for her inclusion of the project and feminist friendly workspace Womanhouse with fellow artist Judy Chicago – a multimedia artist who also worked using needlework – for example her revolutionary installation piece The Dinner Party (1979). The original Womanhouse idea is credited to Art Historian Paula Harper. (Hamblin 2017, p.167) The intention of this project offered female working artists a space to demolish societal expectations based around female art making, particularly considering the works context and topic. Hilary Robinson’s Feminism Art Theory from 2015 addressed Womanhouse by saying; “There are some interesting unwritten laws about what is considered appropriate subject matter for art making. The content of firstclass project Womanhouse reversed these laws” (Robinson 2015, p.125). This quote expresses the projects interest and aim to dispute against old fashioned expectations and sexist traditions of what art was expected to be made by women.
In attempts to confront this issue of sexism, many contemporary artists have embraced Arts and Crafts techniques in their own ways while using feminist themes. The upcoming third and final chapter will introduce artist Tracey Karima Emin, displaying two of her tapestry works and how her use of needlework in a contemporary setting resulted in defying outdated associations.
Chapter 3: Contemporary Analysis of Tracey Emin
The contemporary art movement has introduced an assembly of female artists from all backgrounds fighting back by incorporating the traditional use of needlework in a modern setting. Artists are tackling this issue by arguing against the inherent sexism and dismissal of the Arts and Crafts movement, often using needlecraft as a way of disrupting stereotypes and the interrelations between being female and making art. The 1970’s saw a surge of female artists contending the historically restricted nature of needlework by reclaiming needlework. Author Elizabeth Emery writes in regard to this resurgence; “Needlework was a reminder of women’s oppression under patriarchy but, concurrently, needlework carried with it its own culture, specific to women’s her-story.” (Emery 2019, p.103). This reiterates the fact of women taking back this method of making art in their own way, a way that is no longer under societal expectations of how women are to be. Furthermore, some also use needlecraft as a way of modernising their cultural influences, providing a new perspective, and as a way of honoring those who paved the way for modern women to be accepted into the art world. Though the use of needlework in the past for some was a necessity for survival, artists today are embracing this method of working in a modern sense.
The appreciation of needlework in recent years has continued to be modernised through websites discussing all things sewing. These online sources allow people across the world to connect and
express their passion from all paths of life. As groups historically would sew together in person, their world is now digitalised. Moreover, the advancement of technology has also made the sharing of different cultural inspirations and methods of making more accessible. People from all over the world can learn how to perfect their preferred craft in just a few clicks, opening more opportunities for people to create. Though, this does also come with the possible downside of styles being less individualistic due to mass production if company made, taking away from the care put into hand creating.
Despite this, some contemporary artists continue to embrace the traditional method of making in a modern form. For example, British-Turkish artist Tracey Karima Emin, born 3 July 1963, in Croydon, UK. Emin studied and graduated from the Royal College of Art in London with an MA in painting and is recognised as one of the Young British Artists (YBA). Tracey Emin is known for her brutal honesty, and one source which gives a direct insight into the artist’straumatic life experiences and upbringing is her autobiography Strangeland (2005), a collection of writing over the past 25 years formed into a book. The structure of the book relates to her essence of chaotic tales and her art style with short chapters filled with ongoing thoughts and stories of her childhood and the trauma she has endured as a woman. Though her life is well documented by others through the media, this autobiography is an advantageous source straight from the artist to inform the reader of the direct links and life lessons Emin as a female artist in Britain, which has in turn influenced the context of her artwork. Due to its honest nature, using Strangeland as a dependable source to analyse her work feels appropriate. Throughout her career, Emin has tackled themes of sexism, as well as mental and physical health in a myriad of mediums. A few revisited topics in her artwork relate to sex and relationships, her abortions, mental illness, and most recently her bladder cancer diagnosis and surgery, all approached in an unfiltered and raw manner through the style of confessional art. She is even quoted to have said: “Over the last few years I have externalised everything, kind of turned myself inside-out" (Emin 2005, p.201), reinforcing this concept of brutal honesty, embracing the ups and downs of life.
The piece Mad Tracey from Margate, Everyone's Been There, is an appliqué blanket completed in 1997 by Tracey Emin. It is currently conserved in Sammlung Goetz, Munich. Although this is one of many autobiographical pieces made by Emin, it is deserving of its place as it directly illustrates the topic of contemporary Arts and Crafts. The blanket reaches a size of 267 x 215cm and is assembled from a collection of the artists' friends clothing which have been cut and reused in the form of shape and text atop a deep blue background base, using the technique of appliqué (Brown 2006, p.47). The title of the work speaks to Emin’s upbringing and the tumultuous personal problems she endured growing up. At first introduction to the work, it can feel overwhelming. Emin has created a fabric collage where it is difficult to know where to look first – this could resemble the way Emin’s brain felt throughout this time of her life, dealing with the memories of traumatic life events. The featured text reading ‘and I said fuck off back to your week world that you came from’, surrounded by 19 white sperm cells swimming around the sewn black capitalised text, could relate to a story told in Strangeland. Emin writes of when she
was just eleven years old and playing at the beach in her hometown of Margate. After being teased by a group of other children and commenting on her physique, she was comforted by a much older man who then sexually assaulted her. Emin writes “And I pulled at his willy until a giant spray of white covered my limbs. I wasn’t yet twelve, but I knew it could feel lovely to be a girl” (Emin 2005, p.20). We as the viewer don’t know exactly what Emin’s word choice in this figure 3.1 was influenced by, but we can make connections to the excerpts from this book while reinforcing the idea of using feminist themes with needlecraft. Central of the blanket writes ‘She was masterbating’ in orange block letters atop blue squares to emphasise the text, the use of vulgar language and imagery is a feminist take due to the nature of the subject matter and confessional stories she is inviting the viewer to be a part of. Throughout art history, women were made to appear as the ‘ideal woman’, an all-round romanticised and idealistic vision of how women should look and behave, otherwise known as the male gaze. By using this language referring to herself or others, Emin is challenging this unrealistic expectation of perfection. The collage of text varying in emotion speaks as a visual representation of collected thoughts, overlapping emotions and experiences that are personal to the artist but is also welcoming to the viewer to relate to – especially female viewers who may have experienced similar situations. This work unapologetically evokes moments of love, grief and passion, expressing her deeper thoughts through fabric and thread, filling up the space of the artist's inner life intimacies. Dutch art historian Rudi Fuchs refers to Emin’s confessional style in saying; “She has introduced a practice of realism, and a particular honesty, from which there is no return” (Fuchs 2005, p.18), emphasising Tracey Emin’s legacy of self- expressive work, embracing the nature of being a woman.The second piece of discussion by Tracey Emin is titled Super Drunk Bitch, an embroidered blanket sized 320 x 249cm, completed in 2005, featuring the title, signature, and execution date positioned at the bottom right. This work has since been exhibited in Edinburgh’s National Gallery in 2008. As previously mentioned, the beloved attribute of Emin’s work is her ability to be freely confessional and autobiographical. Super Drunk Bitch consists of various sections of text, some overlapping to the point it is difficult to read a coherent sentence. The text could resemble ongoing thoughts or excerpts from writing, a mixture of emotions, drunken rambles, or things heard from others throughout the artist's life. It feels like an expressive drawing made with fabric instead of a writing pen. Akin to figure 3.1 above, it is easy to be reminded of the life experiences told in Strangeland when looking at her work.The essence of the piece feels like a drawing of collected scribbled writing, especially in the largest text and title of the piece at the upper section of the painting. The writing style used in this form of creating resembles the form of automatism – the method of writing without thinking. This process clashes with the method of appliqué as this technique is a time- consuming way of working, and scoring out the first word makes the intention feel more intense and purposeful. The title and upper text could refer to an incident of Emin appearing on television in 1997 at the Turner Award dinner celebration, an event which was heavily publicised.The colour scheme used in this work pales down opposed to the work of figure 3.1, consisting of dull baby pinks and cream/white. White has connotations of purity, which contrasts with the use of obscene language and adult themes.
In Strangeland, Emin writes, “I had become conscious of my physicality, aware of my presence and open to the ugly truths of the world. At the age of thirteen, I realised that there was a danger in innocence and beauty, and I could not live with both” (Emin 2005, p.24). This quote is in reference to the story of losing her virginity after being raped at the age of thirteen. She speaks of her changed awareness of herself in the world and how her mindset was altered by this experience. This links to the idea of purity. The variation of pink hues makes one think of childhood and femininity, emphasised by the floral pattern climbing the lower half of the left side, a pink and green flower bed. Furthermore, the associations of childhood could also relate to Emin’s harrowing relationship with motherhood and her experiences with pregnancy and abortion – a topic which is touched upon numerous times in Strangeland and in more recent works. The featured text in the upper middle ground reads ‘So what's your name little girl’, which can be perceived differently depending on the context of the question. This text could possibly relate to Emin’s childhood and her exposure around older men from a young age, most of which these encounters are difficult to read at times due to the careless and predatory treatment she endured. When this quote is spoken to a grown woman, it feels patrionising and rooted in sexism due to a power imbalance of not seeing a woman as equal. This again suggests the feminist tone of the piece.
The technique of appliqué should be analysed in context to the subject matter and visual elements of the work, as well as who the creator of the work is. Emin’s use of appliqué relates to the Arts and Crafts movement yet features adult themes and crude language in a feminist character. She is using this way of working in a contemporary manner by not sticking to traditional set patterns and forms unlike those in the past, using an uneven background and crude subject matter. This affirms the idea of AFAB artists reclaiming this method of working in their own way, an approach Emin has continued to validate throughout her career successfully.
Though critics have often praised Emin for her expressively confessional style, she is no stranger to facing moments of backlash. Her influence on feminist art is often critiqued, especially when it came to her arguably most famous piece: My Bed (1998). Many criticised the artist and claimed that the work took no artistic talent, a sea of ‘That’s not art, I could do that myself!’ as suggested in an article by Lucas Ind last year (Ind 2023). In an article for Artzine, Jakob Zaaiman criticised Emin’s work; "The problem is not her choice of subject, or her confessional audacity: it’s her ongoing inability to connect with anything 'artistically interesting", an opinion the Director of White Cube, Georgina Wimbush argues is spoken from a male viewpoint (Wimbush 2021). These reflections highlight the conflicted judgements upon Emin and her work, inevitably deeply linked to her feminist entity. Emin has even commented on this issue herself during an interview with Lauren Christensen of Vanity Fair in 2013. When asked on her method of dealing with negative criticism, Emin responded; “After Venice [Emin represented the U.K. at the Biennale in 2007, spurring poor reviews back home], I was actually really upset about the British press. I was mortified. I was destroyed by it, actually. The press was cruel,
because they didn’t just dislike my work; they disliked me, personally my voice, the way I dress, the way I look, my attitude. I’m sure they wouldn’t have carried on that way if I were a man. I’m absolutely convinced of that.” (Christensen 2013). This viewpoint accentuates the ongoing sexist issues within the art world, faced by even one of the most successful female artists of the contemporary art world.
Conclusion
This body of research into the status of AFAB women in relation to their needlecraft work has concluded that the Arts and Crafts has consistently acted as a vessel for creators, a beloved form of communication and documentation, a form of community for women to unite together through creation. However, it has also been found that this vessel has consistently been disregarded as a respectful art form. As suggested by the body research evaluated in this dissertation, it is evident that the treatment of women assigned female at birth have historically and continue to be disregarded, especially those create using needlework in association with the Arts and Crafts movement. This dissertation has considered early examples of needlecraft across the United Kingdom and America by looking at samplers made in British schools, literature in Kentucky, the work of American artist Harriet Powers, discussed work on the theme of anonymity by Miriam Schapiro, and concluded with the work of contemporary artist Tracey Emin. This has created a timeline of staple points of the existence of needlework, resolving each point by considering its inclusion within the art world and the sexist attitudes which have dulled down its presence and appreciation as art. This dismissal of women and ostracism of their work is just another form of sexism - a means to silence and suppress a minority who are already targeted. Researching this topic offers an in-depth insight into the struggles of AFAB artists and has proven that it is indisputable that female artists using needlework have been dismissed. AFAB artists continue to struggle while their cisgender white male counterparts continue to rise to the top. This is particularly made clear by the information found on the history of art schools, as well as the difference in treatment of male dominated slavery workers in Kentucky.
It must be noted that although there are multiple sources which discuss this issue, sometimes information can be scarce regarding some aspects of research. For example, in Harriet Powers' case, there is little documentation due to the formative years of her life being restricted as she was enslaved. Like many black creators of this time, there is little documented on their existence. Furthermore, the historical aspect of women using alias or anonymity to credit their work means the recording of their existence and therefore treatment is more difficult to confirm. The whole idea is to be inconspicuous; attention and documentation would counter this idea. Lack of reliable sources means that there is consequently less information to recall.
Overall, this dissertation has recognised the dismissal of AFAB women in the art world by analysing several artists and their works, concluding that the negative treatment towards women creators may be slightly less harsh as in the past, but is still very prevalent today.